An Urgent Call To Act In The Andes

Imagine this: One wakes up in Ecuador’s highlands or capital, hoping for a hot shower, but there’s no electricity — worse, there’s no water. Why? Because of an environmental, water, and energy crisis. Though there are dams to generate electricity (some poorly built), five months of drought have left them at a third of their capacity. You don’t need to imagine this scenario, because it’s happening now. We are seeing nearly empty reservoirs, people scrambling to collect water, buy generators, and find ways to keep devices charged, even by running their cars.

Politicians are planting trees in burned areas without regard for species, only seeking election support. Meanwhile, lawmakers across South America pass laws favoring illegal mining, deforestation, and even crime. This crisis began in Peru and Bolivia three years ago, where droughts killed llamas and alpacas, ruined potato production, and decimated trout farming.

Many refuse to discuss climate change, considering it a divine punishment, and some communicators spread this misinformation. This year, we are experiencing the impacts of these crises directly, and our work is also affected. The losses will be significant if we keep promoting only ‘Adaptation to Climate Change.’ Instead, we must do what our ancestors did — ACT with positive resilience to counter these crises.

For many high-Andean families, Acción Andina is their only hope. They are calling for us to expand our efforts, knowing that the millions of native trees, jobs, and complementary actions we’re implementing are still insufficient to counter the effects of climate change. Let’s not wait until it’s too late to act.